One of the most prominent schools within the Myoan-Ha, is the Taizan-ryu. It was founded by Higuchi “Kodo” Taizan (1856-1914) who first was a student of the Seien style Shakuhachi and in 1890 went to Kyoto where he joined the Myoan Society becoming an instructor. He spent much of his time collecting and organizing pieces from the Myoan tradition as well as many others. His outstanding talents as a player and his work expanding the repertoire of the Myoan Society revitalized the Myoan tradition. He is called “the founder of the restoration of the Myoan-ha”. “Kodo” compiled the Honkyoku that is currently used in the Myoan-Ha today. He became the 35th Kanshu of the temple Myoanji.

Myoan-ji temple in Kyoto was founded by Kyochiku Zenji, Myoan-ji was and is a prominent and influential center of Shakuhachi musicianship. The factors prompting Myoanji to concentrate on music(and by extension the Zen philosophy that might in form such an interest) were, in addition to the political importance of the temple, the high-culture tradition of Kyoto and the conservative perspective of Myoan-ji’s leaders vis-à-vis, art, religion and politics. Thus, in general, as Edo gradually became the center of a movement of popularized shakuhachi music, Myoan-ji continued to explore and refine a much more metaphysical Zen style. The stronger commitment to the musical tradition at Myoan-ji did not prevent the eventual inclusion of townsmen as ‘temporary’ Komuso or ‘musical helpers’, it is true, but it assured that the quality of the musicianship was first rate and that it followed fairly conventional lines. Several of the “abbots” of Myoan-ji were, infact, extremely accomplished musicians who gathered around them coteries of master players. A chronological list of head kanshu of Myoan-ji temple follows

1. Shinshi Hoto Kokushi
2. Kaiso Kochiku Zenji
3. Kaizan Tengai Zenji
4. Ungai Zenko Shuza
5. Joun Shuza
6. Kokugai Shuza
7. Dozan Shuza
8. Seizan Shuza
9. Togetsu Shuza
10. Shugetsu Shuza
11. Ganryo Shuza
12. Shingetsu Shuza
13. Kangetsu Shuza
14. Yoshin Shizu
15. Engetsu Zenji
16. Gasan Zenji
17. Itsushitsu Zenji
18. Kaizan Zenji
19. Kondo Zenji
20. Seiza Zenji
21.Minzan Zenji
22. missing from list
23. Seizan (no title given)
24. ? (could not translate)
25. Mindo Shizan
26. Seizan Shuza
27. Kugai Shuza
28. Tengen Shuza
29. Kuzan Dai Toku
30. Shinga Shizan
31. Togaku Zenji
32. Kendo Zenji
33. Rodo Zenji
34. Jishô Sakuhi
35. Higuchi Taizan Kodo
36. Kobayoshi Jido Shizan
37. Tanikita Muchiku Roan
38. Koizumi Shizan Ryoan
39. Fukumoto Konsai Kyoan
40. Yoshimura Fuan Shoshin
41. Kojima Toyoaki Issui
42. Seian Genshin

After some effort the present Myoan-ji temple was established in 1890, the new temple is considered the spiritual home of Shakuhachi playing today.


Information compiled from email correspondence with Dr. Norman Stanfield.

And Christopher Yohmei Blasdel’s “The Shakuhachi a manual for learning” and “ Shakuahachi Zen the Fukeshu and Komuso” by James Sanford. List of Kanshu of Myoan-ji Temple translated from a book by Tomimori Kyozan by Morimasa Horiuchi